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Commentaries

In my view the Word Biblical Commentaries are a mixed bag. Wenham on Genesis is, in my view, the most helpful commentary I've used on Genesis. However, Durham on Exodus is weak on the historicity of that book. I've found the WBC volume on Joshua to be too critical for my taste also. I just bought Stuart on Hosea-Jonah and it has been helpful. In the NT, I've found O'Brien on Philippians to be excellent. Bauckham on 2 Peter is also very helpful (though I think his view of authorship is unfortunate, and unfortunately affects his exegesis in places. Schriener's new commentary in the NAC series has a good argument for the Petrine authorship of Peter which interacts with Bauckham).

I'm personally buying WBC's on a book-by-book basis.

The Expositor's Bible Commentary is a good series (Carson on Matthew is great; VanGemeren on the Psalms, etc.), but can be brief at times.

As mentioned, Dr. Custer’s Tools for Teaching and Preaching the Bible is a good resource. Tremper Longman and D.A. Carson also have helpful commentary survey’s published by Baker (Old Testament Commentary Survey; New Testament Commentary Survey). Carson’s latest edition is just a few years old and Longman’s newest edition just came out.

Does anyone know something about the Word Biblical Commentary serie?I have been planning to buy the whole serie in an electronic format. What are your opinninons? Is this a good critical commentary serie for exegesis? I would like to have a commentary on every book in the bible, and I cannot buy a book from different serie for each book.

Any Commentary set is going to be weak in some sections of the scriptures and strong in others, the WBC is no exception. As long as you can sort through the good and the bad. Even with weak spots I've found the WBC, has been a worthy purchase.
Personally I would suggest that when you get ready to preach through a given book, secure a few excellent individual commentaries on that book, or at least a few reputable ones. (Identifying those for individual purpose is of course the purpose of this thread.)

Commentaries

Another helpful source for books for me has been Spurgeon’s "Commenting & Commentaries A Reference Guide to Book Buying for Pastors, Students, and Christian Workers." It was published in 1876 and he gives reference to the old standards. True, it is out of date but still some wise counsel in it. For even an older listing try Darling's list (Cyclopaedia Bibliographica: A Library Manual of Theological and General Literature... (10 Volumes). Others on the list have given a few up-to-date listings.

Mark Langley

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church of Topeka, KS

But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

My Word on Word

Originally Posted by Antti

Does anyone know something about the Word Biblical Commentary serie?

Hi, Antti — I'm a fervent affirmer of the Divine authority and inerrancy of Scriptural autographa. One's position on that issue affects one's handling of (and being handled by!) the text of Scripture on all levels.

Having said that (generalization to follow), I find that many of the volumes in the Word series have what I would view as a deficient respect for Scripture, and this affects the quality of the commentary. They may have great value in terms of lexicography, syntax, and other technical areas, but as a strictly biological description of one's wife might be accurate and yet miss the heart of the matter, so these often do. For instance, the volume on 2 Peter has much excellent material per se — but misses much through its failure to affirm Petrine authorship.

Similarly with the volume on Proverbs, which I find lacking due to the author's relatively low view of the authority of the text of Scripture.

I'm sure others will have other perspectives to offer; that is mine own. I have and use Word commentaries, but there are better ones available on most books.

I'll list a few that have been helpful to me in my classes the last couple of years:

Genesis
Bruce Waltke (Zondervan)

Ecclesiates
Tremper Longman (NICOT)
Michael Eaton (TOTC)

Luke
Darrell Bock (BECNT)

John
Raymond Brown (Anchor Bible)

Romans
Moo (NICNT)
Dunn (WBC)

Ephesians
Hoehner
Markus Barth
Peter O'Brien

Pastoral Epistles
Knight (NIGTC)

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I also have used the Moody Introductions to the OT. It is a 4 volume set. I own the OT Historical by Howard and the OT Poetic by Bullock. Useful background info and commentary focusing (mostly) on the more difficult passages in the books.

For NT background and theological help I like the 4 volume IVP Dictionaries.

I wouldn't buy any complete sets like the WBC in print (>55 volumes!). You'll spend a ton and end up getting books from other series to compensate for the ones you don't like. Purchase on a book by book basis.

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By the way, Alibris.com a lot of hard to find theology books for pretty cheap, used of course.

commentary selection

I Often Buy Individual Commentaries Rather Than Sets Myself. Here Is Just A Partial List Of Commentaries That I Suggest When People Ask. I Like Commentaries That Deal Not Only With Exegesis, But Also Backgrounds.